


'Till We Grow Again

by whatthedubbs



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Don't worry he gets better, F/F, Families of Choice, Fix-It of Sorts, Jason Grace: Punching Bag of the Gods, Jason is the one who dies, Lies of Omission, M/M, Oaths, Thalia has a lot of regrets, The Author Has a Dim View of the Hunters of Artemis as a Plot Device, This probably classifies as Whump, inspired by another work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25844215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatthedubbs/pseuds/whatthedubbs
Summary: What if Thalia joining the Hunters of Artemis was the catalyst for the shit-storm that Jason's life becomes up until his death?Something inspired by Kingburu's 'Til We Grow Old' series that started life as a comment I never posted because I ran into the character limit and decided to make it into a fic instead.  I would recommend that you go get a few tissues and read the entirety of that series first.*NOTE THAT THE BEGINNING OF THIS REFLECTS ITS ORIGINS AS A COMMENT RATHER THAN A WORK OF PROSE.  I'M COMING BACK TO CLEAN IT UP*
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Jason Grace, Thalia Grace/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano
Comments: 5
Kudos: 39





	'Till We Grow Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kingburu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingburu/gifts).
  * Inspired by [up above the world (so far away)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25043539) by [kingburu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingburu/pseuds/kingburu). 



> So, I've never particularly liked the Hunters of Artemis as a plot concept because it takes strong-willed female characters and essentially removes them from the narrative except for snippets here and there. And basically every instance of someone joining leaves a sibling or found family member behind. And I'm not about that. Like, how are the rest of these peons supposed to figure out how to serve the gods when Artemis makes off with all the Strong Female Protagonists (I know it's not all of them, but it's a decent number).

It's not about Jason. It's about Thalia breaking her family apart (or just making it impossible for it to come together properly). Hera's already predisposed to dislike Zeus' demigod children as the goddess of marriage; but remember she's also considered a goddess of _family_. So not only is Thalia already a smarting symbol of her husband's infidelity, she's actively doing shit that makes Hera mad. And Hera is _mad_.

But while Thalia's sort of off-limits because she's under Artemis' protection...

Jason isn't.

And despite not having seen him since he was two, Thalia still loves her brother.

What better way to make Hera's erstwhile step-daughter regret her choices?

And really, Jason's just Zeus kind of rubbing his infidelity in Hera's face already. Why not?

So Jason's kinda shitty life (and then death) happens, and then one day one of the gods is looking to Start Shit for one reason or another (Or maybe now that Jason's gone Hera's decided she's gonna _really_ mess with Thalia's head), and lets it slip to Thalia that the whole reason Jason's life turned into a dumpster fire of prophecies and loss stemmed from her choosing to join the Hunters rather than seek out her brother.

And by this point her brother's _dead_ because of Apollo's idiocy, and Thalia can't help but hold Artemis partially responsible because she's supposed to be the sensible sister, (and Thalia is aware of the hypocrisy of that statement). And the girl she's had a crush on for ages finally joined the hunters, but left behind Jason's best friend (and love of his life) just when he needed his pseudo-sister most; and Thalia might not know the kid well, but she can't help but think that Hades probably isn't super happy about his niece constantly absconding with essential parts of his only son's emotional support network at _exactly_ the wrong moments.

(Let's not forget the probably countless minor gods and goddesses who loved the shit out of Jason for working so hard to make sure they were remembered and honored; none of whom are likely to be happy to learn that Hera's anger at Thalia caused their champion to be abandoned to an untimely death before he'd completed his work...)

So things are... pretty strained on Olympus when Apollo completes his trials and returns to tell his tale; and of course Artemis and her hunters are in attendance, including Thalia (who's been sharing her misgivings about the hunters as an institution with Reyna because it's not like she can bring them up with Artemis herself). And when Apollo gets to the Caligula part of his tale Thalia's just numb because this is the part where the gods abandoned her brother, their champion, who saved for _them_ all the familial love that should have been _hers_ and got _death_ in return...

(Hades actually looks _mournful_ because it’s painful to see his son hurting so much that he's been unable to bring himself to visit the underworld).

And then hecking PERSEPHONE stands up and points an accusatory finger at Hera and shouts: "His death is on YOUR hands, stepmother! Yours and Artemis'! Your feud with my sisters has lead to the death of your own champion before his time, and shattered my step-son's heart to pieces in the process! You have taken and taken over and over! My brother's sister, my step-son's sister, the sister they made family with who helped mend the holes YOU (pointing at Artemis) left in their hearts! And YOU (pointing back at Hera) instead of counseling my sister against breaking families so, as you SHOULD have as her step-mother; you instead decide to TORTURE your own champion over and over until he DIED by your inaction. And STILL, HE LOOKS TO YOU FOR APPROVAL!"

And now Thalia is just sobbing quietly because her stupid, brave, idiotic, perfect little brother is gone and it's her fault (not entirely, but she still holds a piece of the guilt). And EVERYBODY IS JUST LOOKING AT HER BECAUSE IT'S SUDDENLY REALLY UNCOMFORTABLY QUIET IN THE THRONE ROOM OF OLYMPUS. 

And then Persephone is suddenly kneeling before her and wiping the tears from her eyes and handing her a perfect, vibrant dandelion.

“Our little brother is a dutiful student,” she says, smiling. “I think he would like you to have this. His first success.” 

Thalia clutches it in her hand. Somehow it fits him. The flower that struggles and thrives in the hard soil, then casts itself wide to float upon the winds. 

It’s even fuzzy and yellow on the top.

Persephone’s eyes harden, and she glares over Thalia’s shoulder. “There was a time, sister, when you took only those with no families for your hunters,” the Queen of the Underworld’s voice is every bit as cold and iron as the sword her step-son wields. “When you did not ask women too young to make such decisions rationally to abandon their tattered and grieving families, whether by blood or by water. When you honored our step-mother by offering a place by your side only to those with no one to leave behind.”

Artemis is silent on her throne. Thalia does not have the courage within her to turn and look upon her mistress’ face. Across the arc of the thrones, her uncle Hades rises, tall and gaunt and clad in his cloak of tortured souls with his jewel-encrusted scepter of celestial bronze in his hand and his crown of stygian iron resting on his brow. He surveys the room, grim-faced and unknowably _ancient_.

“Even in Elysium, my nephew cannot find happiness,” Hades rich voice sweeps across the room like the waters of the Styx. “He works every day to honor my devoted servants for their loyal service. He has found ways to _improve_ Elysium, the fields we prepared to be the perfect eternal home for our mortal children and our heroes. He kneels before my throne and listens to the stories of our most glorious days so he might find better ways for the honored dead to offer their thanks. He does all of this and there is _nothing_ with which I can reward him.” Hades voice practically shakes as he gestures to the assembled minor gods, “Nothing I can offer to repay him for his service to our children.”

Silence for a moment, Hades letting his words sink in before he continues.

“Jason is still bound by his oath to honor us all, and so he cannot rest, cannot find the solace we promise our mortal children in Elysium, cannot bring himself to shed the weight of his promise through reincarnation.” He slams his scepter down against the foot of his throne. “He should have been made a god upon his death! We have done the same far less worthy candidates, including the renegade Caligula who struck my nephew down! Yet my brother and his wife refused my words, even as he knowingly walked to his death for the sake of their son Apollo!”

The throne room is silent, except for Thalia’s rasping breaths. She remembers Annabeth trying to describe Tartarus to her once; how hard it was to breathe there, how it often felt like a crushing vice was clasped around her lungs so even the smallest inhale was a Heraclean effort. The truth of her brother’s suffering makes Thalia finally understand what it must have been like for her.

“There is nothing to be done, brother,” Hera snaps. “My champion chose his fate, chose mortality when we offered godhood. He will learn to accept paradise in time.”

The lights dim as Hades glares at his sister, but he returns to his throne. Persephone gives Thalia’s hand a final squeeze before returning to him. 

Then Zeus waves his hand at Apollo. “Continue your tale, my son.”

Hades and Persephone look murderous. Demeter doesn’t look much better. Artemis’ face is practically carved from stone when Thalia manages to look. Apollo looks _broken_ as he continues his story, Aphrodite and Ares leaning against each other for comfort as he relates the pain and struggles of their children. Mr. D sniffles into his goblet when the sun god relates the death of one of the god of wine’s last few children. Hephaestus, Hestia, and Poseidon sit as statues, their expressions tight.

Her father’s face is carefully indifferent, as is her step-mother’s. 

Thalia wishes she could brain her father over the head with her bow. He’d saved her once, even if she had to spend years as a _tree_. How was her brother not worth more? Thalia’s spent years of her life actively rejecting him, while Jason had remained his devoted servant.

(Did Artemis allow her to attend her brother’s funeral because she wanted to give Thalia time to grieve, or because she knew Reyna would come back with her?)

If she falls in battle, will she get to join her brother in Elysium, or has her abandonment of him denied her that right? What has she possibly done that could tip the scales back in her favor? 

(The answer is: not much. The Huntresses are immortal. Why would they feel the need to worry about gaining a place in Elysium?)

* * *

Apollo (now looking very uncomfortable) finishes his story while Thalia sniffles and breaks apart in the background, and then Artemis is whisking all of them away (without speaking Hera or Persephone or even Apollo). And that’s kind of the last straw for Thalia, because the whole image she’s built herself of Artemis and the Hunters is already crumbling before her eyes.

So that night, when they set up camp somewhere on the plains of Oklahoma, Thalia goes to her Lady’s tent.

Because she may have made an oath to Lady Artemis, but apparently the Underworld gods are big fans of her little brother, including the goddess of oaths herself…

“My Lady, is it true that Hera tortured my brother because I broke our family to join your hunters?”

Artemis is silent, not looking up from where she polishes her silver bow. She nods.

Thalia’s breath catches in her throat. It’s one thing to hear it as rumor, or shouted across the throne room of Olympus by her angry god-sister; but earth-shattering to have it confirmed by the Lady she had sworn herself to serve.

“Did you know that she would torment him when you offered me a place by your side?”

Another absent nod. Thalia’s fists clench at her side at her Lady’s indifference.

“Why did you not tell me this before I made my decision?”

Lady Artemis shrugs. “I did not care. Were he your sister rather than your brother I would have never approached you.”

Thalia’s heart feels like lead, but her head is clear. Lady Artemis does not care. Feels no regret for the pain and injustice done to her brother. Lied to her by omission when she described what she would give up to stand by her side.

Thalia may have rejected her father, but justice is still her heritage. 

“You have my obedience, Lady Artemis,” Thalia speaks, slowly and clearly, “But my loyalty to you is broken.”

* * *

She goes back to the tent she shares with Reyna, and scrounges up a drachma to IM Annabeth.

(Though Nico is more likely to know the answer, Thalia still can’t look him in the eye after taking Reyna away when he needed her. Thalia might have needed her too, but she had the rest of the hunters to mourn with her if she needed them. And Hazel would probably shove cut diamonds down her throat for precisely that reason. And the only other person who would be able to help her figure out how to do what she wants to do is her _dead brother)_.

So she calls Annabeth in the middle of the night to ask how to contact the goddess Styx, because she has an oath that she needs to break.

It takes her a week to gather the things she’ll need, and when she’s ready she burns them at a small fire she lights away from the rest of the camp and prays to the goddess of oaths.

“Styx, goddess of the oath-binding river, please hear me in my time of need. One who has honored you and your children has been unjustly slain because of an oath that I swore to Lady Artemis. She knew that by doing so I would cause the gods to torture and torment my brother despite his dedication, his victories in their honor, his strength in the face of their trials, and the power he wielded in their name

“Please, my Lady, I ask to be released from my oath to the Hunters of Artemis. I want to grow old and die and spend eternity with my brother in Elysium. I wish to balance the scales I was mislead into tipping against myself.”

Thalia wipes the back of her hand across her eyes. “How can an oath be just if it is started from deceit?”

* * *

Time passes, and Artemis is still cold and distant as the moon. Thalia spends her days chasing their prey and her nights in Reyna’s arms, and dreams of her brother alone and _unhappy_ in Elysium; of little Nico picking up the freshly shattered fragments of the life he had been working towards with him. She prays often to Styx, asking to be set free, but hears nothing. She prays to Zelus and Nike and Kratos and Bia to intercede with their mother on her behalf, but still nothing happens. 

The first anniversary of her brother’s death comes and goes. Artemis allows her and Reyna to spend a few days visiting his grave in New Rome. Together they pick handfuls of wild dandelions and bind them together into scruffy-looking bouquets to leave at his headstone. Thalia offers up a prayer to Persephone asking for them to take root and flourish, and the ripple of power in the air around them lets her know she is heard. 

(Jason’s first dandelion is still perfect and vibrant as the day the goddess of the Spring gave it to her. It comes everywhere with her, safe in the interior zipper pocket of her jacket).

Reyna runs into Nico before they have to return. Thalia is ashamed to admit that she makes herself scarce, not ready to face this boy that her decisions and actions have harmed so many times over.

“He’s afraid to visit his father because he thinks Jason chose reincarnation.” Reyna tells her that night when they’re alone. “I wanted to tell him he hasn’t, that he’s working for Hades, but-“

“Not allowed to discuss what happens on Olympus, yeah.” Thalia sighs. “I hate this.”

* * *

Reyna comes back from her next break at Camp Half-Blood with a smile that threatens to split her face in half.

“Nico finally went to visit his father,” she calls out as she trips back into the Hunter’s camp. “Spent the whole time hanging out with Jason. Apparently you might have to fight Persephone for the ‘big sister’ spot in his life.”

She wants to cry, because she might be trapped with the hunters forever (or at least until she’s confident enough she’ll be sent to Elysium to allow herself to fall in battle), but at least someone’s looking after her little brother. Someone who willingly stood up in Zeus’ court and shouted at his wife over her mistreatment of him. 

* * *

Winter turns to spring, turns to early summer again. What would be Jason’s eighteenth birthday approaches. Nico continues to visit her brother in the underworld, each time apparently returning a bit more settled, but with a quiet melancholy that seems slow to fade. Thalia continues to pray to Styx as often as she can get away with it. She knows Lady Artemis likely knows what she’s doing; but she doesn’t care. She’d told her mistress she’d broken her loyalty.

She can’t get away to join the others for their celebration of her brother’s birthday. Neither can Reyna.

They buy two huge brownies at a bakery and stick eighteen candles in them for her brother. They sing (quietly, away from the others), and Thalia blows the candles out with a puff of wind. They eat them in silence, remembering. 

* * *

Annabeth IM’s her later that night to tell them that Nico brought Jason’s ghost up from the underworld for the party, and that the two of them decided to return there together afterwards. 

She’s not sure if Nico plans to come back, and Thalia isn’t sure whether to feel sadness or relief.

* * *

The next day passes in a hazy blur. The hunters are moving across the Idaho steppe, long days walking and cool nights beneath dazzling stars. That night she prays to Styx once again before she goes to sleep. Nothing, once again.

But her dreams, oh, in her dreams the goddess of oaths is waiting for her.

“Daughter of Zeus,” Styx’ voice is dark and flowing as her namesake. “I have heard your prayers, as have my children, as has the Lord of the Underworld himself.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Thalia bows. “I know the price for what I ask must be high, but how can I call myself a daughter of Zeus if I don’t try to do what I know is just? How can I call myself my brother’s sister if I don’t try, even if it’s impossible?”

The river goddess smiles.

“Well spoken, young Thalia. Once, I came to your father’s aide, and in return he commanded all his pantheon to swear their oaths in my name. And now your young brother has done much to see that me and my own are honored, before and after his death. He even convinced Lord Hades to erect a temple in my honor in the fields of Elysium, for the dead to pray for the safe passage of their loved ones across my waters.”

Thalia can feel her chin wobbling. Her little brother, not even accepting the rest he earned in death if he can find something that he feels needs doing.

“He and the son of Lord Hades crossed my waters not so long ago.” There’s an almost-conspiratorial glint in the goddess’ eye as she leans forward. “They sat before Charon and wished to grow old together.” She _winks_. “I have a feeling Lord Hades might be willing to make it happen. Always a romantic, that one.”

Thalia chokes out a laugh that’s halfway to a sob. “Really? Hades would free his spirit?”

Styx smiles and nods her head. “Yes, child. As we speak your brother is completing the labor offered to him to earn his release. And so, I come to your request.”

Thalia straightens her posture, hoping and hoping that she’s going to get the chance to go home to her brother and to apologize to his boyfriend (Fiancé? Husband? What are you when you promise yourself to someone else like that while on the ferry over the Styx) for all the times she’s helped his life fall to pieces. 

“Yes, my lady?”

“I will dissolve your oath to the Hunter of Artemis if you will swear on my waters to be the sister your brother always needed for the rest of your days. To help make your brother’s wish to grow old with the son of Hades into reality. Do this, and when the count of your days has reached its end, you shall join them for eternity in the fields of Elysium. Do you accept?”

Thalia’s heart feels like it’s breaking open and healing at the same time. She needs to do this; but the hunters have still been her family for the last five years. There are faces she will miss, holes in her heart, other huntresses who left broken families behind who deserve this chance.

 _Reyna_.

She takes a deep breath. Reyna holds her heart. Reyna _knows_ her heart. 

“I accept, Lady Styx. I swear on your waters to return to my brother and to be his sister for the rest of my days. To help him find happiness and peace and to grow old with his son of Hades as he should have been able to.”

Power ripples in the dream-air around them. Lady Styx takes Thalia’s hands in her own cool, slim ones. Something slim and wooden appearing in Thalia’s palms.

“Say your goodbyes, daughter of Zeus. And when you are ready, break this sprig of laurel, and your oath to the goddess of the hunt will break with it.”

“I will, my Lady,” Thalia promises, bowing. But-

“Before I leave, may I ask you something? A question, not a favor.”

Styx smiles indulgently. “You may, daughter of Zeus. Ask.”

She swallows and fingers the silver cuff Reyna gave her for her last birthday.

“If the sister who holds my heart, the second sister Artemis took from Nico, wanted to be freed from her own oath to my Lady Artemis; would you help her as you helped me?”

* * *

Thalia wakes in the late afternoon to Reyna shaking her by the shoulder, face tight with worry. 

“Gods Thalia! Not even Lady Artemis could wake you. What did you dream?”

In Thalia’s right hand is a thin piece of wood.

 _Freedom_.

Before Reyna can ask more questions Thalia grabs her by the lapels of her jacket and yanks her in for an ecstatic kiss.

“My brother kinda underworld-married your brother, and Hades gave him a labor to complete to earn his life back.” She explains between kisses. “Apparently Uncle Hades is a huge sucker for a good love story.”

Reyna looks bewildered and cautiously hopeful and _fragile-beautiful_ and she suddenly _knows_ how Jason must have felt riding in Charon’s boat next to the boy who holds his heart. “And how did you learn this?”

“Lady Styx,” Thalia whispers against her lips. “She finally spoke to me, Rey. She heard my prayers.”

Reyna sighs with relief, leaning the last infinitesimal amount forward to press their brows together. They’re so close Thalia can smell the salt of her tears as this girl who completes her holds her tightly.

“I’m so glad, Thal.” Reyna’s voice is thick and heavy with everything she must be feeling. “You needed this.” She pulls back so they can look each other in the eye once more. “I’m going to miss you.”

And Thalia smiles, and reaches out to cup Reyna’s sad-beautiful face in her hands because she _won’t have to_.

“You don’t have to, Rey.” She whispers. “The Lady of the Styx is feeling generous today.”

* * *

They light their fire on the edge of the Huntress’ camp, and Reyna tosses in her offerings: an unpaid bill, a half-finished essay, an incomplete knitted sock.

She makes her prayer to Lady Styx while Thalia sits quietly beside her, the sprig that holds her freedom clasped in her hands, a few drachma in one pocket with a small spray bottle tucked into the other. Jason’s dandelion is wedged behind her ear, still perfect and vibrant. On her other side is a ratty backpack with some ambrosia, water, and a few changes of clothes. Reyna’s gladius sits in the grass beside it.

They’re ready to go.

The smoke from their fire swirls and resolves into the Lady Styx. 

“Daughter of Bellona, I have heard your prayer. Tell me what oath you would offer to replace the one you swore to Diana?”

“I would swear as my sister has; though Nico is my brother by the blood of the covenant rather than by the water of the womb. It was wrong for My Lady to send the one who holds my heart to entice me away from my brother in his time of need. I need to atone for the harm I have caused him.”

Styx smiles, eyes shifting over to Thalia for just a moment. “Well said.” She places a pale hand upon Reyna’s bowed head.

“I will dissolve your oath to the Hunters of Artemis if you will swear upon my waters as your sister has done; to return to your brother and be his sister for the rest of your days, and to help make his wish to grow old with Jason, son of Zeus into reality. Do this, and when the count of your days is complete, you will join your sister and your brothers for eternity in the fields of Elysium. Do you accept?”

There’s not a moment’s worth of hesitation before Reyna raises her head to meet the goddess’ eyes. “I accept.”

“Then swear it.”

The former Praetor draws herself to proud attention. “I swear on the River Styx that I will stand at my brother’s side as his sister for the rest of my days. That I will do all that is in my power to help him grow old with the man who has held his heart even in the shadows of the underworld.”

“Hold out your hands, daughter of Bellona.” 

She does.

Thalia holds her breath as Lady Styx places the slim laurel twig into Reyna’s cupped palms. 

“Say your goodbyes, daughter of Bellona. And when you are ready, break this sprig of laurel, and your oath to the goddess of the hunt will break with it.”

* * *

They return to the fire around which their sisters sit for one last night. Thalia leans into the curve of Reyna’s side and sings the wild chants and songs of the hunt that she has grown to know so well with her comrades one last time. 

She will miss them, but the truth was she could never be entirely one of them, not while the weight of her abandoned brother tugged on her heart. 

She takes the time to whisper to those of her sisters who still have family that Lady Styx may have mercy on them if they ask. Plants the seeds of her own struggle in the hard ground of godly obligation with the hope that they will grow and bloom yellow-gold, perfect and vibrant.

And when the fire dies low, and the red speck of Mars creeps over the horizon she takes Reyna’s hand and shoulders their pack. Together they walk to the very edge of the Huntress’ camp and face outwards over the seemingly-infinite scrub and grasses of the steppe.

Thalia holds her sprig before her, and closes her eyes, feeling the cool night winds wrap around her like old friends. 

“To freedom,” she whispers, and snaps the twig.

* * *

When the deed is done and they turn back to where the camp lay all that remains is empty, untouched grass.

Their silver jackets and thin silver circlets are gone, their silver bows too. Reyna’s gladius hangs on her hip, and sparks dance behind Thalia’s teeth. 

They are free. Mortal. Once more subject to time and the whims of the other gods.

Alive.

Thalia reaches for Reyna at the same time Reyna reaches for her and then they’re kissing, irrepressible joy rising behind Thalia’s breastbone until she has to check to make sure her feet are still on the ground. The rush of her storm meets the weight of Reyna’s charge and the potential of it all carries her away away _away-_

Until a familiar voice clears it’s throat and her eyes snap open to see a shimmering image of Annabeth hovering over the dew-bright grass. She waves awkwardly, but the excitement on her face keeps bubbling to the surface.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have news I didn’t think you’d want to miss; and we’ve been trying to reach you all day.”

(Part of Thalia wants to kick Lady Artemis in the shins for this. Who else would keep her from receiving word of her brother’s return? A larger part wants to laugh, because she _knows_ what this news has to be).

“You can tell us in person if someone wants to come get us. We’ve got some news of our own to share.”

Annabeth laughs and turns away from the mist. “Hazel! Can you come in here for a minute?”

Something in Thalia’s gut twists as the daughter of Pluto pops her head into view. “You called?”

Annabeth waves her over. “Can you pop over to…” She looks up questioningly at Thalia.

“Idaho.”

“Idaho for a second to grab Thalia and Rreyna?”

“Sure thing!” A voice with a pronounced Louisiana lilt pipes up behind them. Thalia jolts as the daughter of Pluto shoves her way between her and Reyna to wave at the mist. “Already on it!”

A small, cool hand grabs Thalia’s tightly. “Hold on!”

* * *

Thalia hasn’t seen her brother in almost three years.

She’s not prepared.

It doesn’t matter. 

Reyna drags her out of the small office Hazel shadow-travels them into before Thalia can properly catch her breath. The house around them is quiet in the early dawn light.

They find their brothers in the kitchen; Jason tall and golden and sleep-rumpled and beautiful leaning on Nico, shorter and pale-olive and lean and deceptively delicate-looking. Frank stands by the counter slicing fruit into a bowl. Everything washed in warm-yellow sunlight.

She chokes on her next breath, and all three of them turn and see her standing in the doorway. Jason’s eyes widen, and the smile that she’s never seen often enough but plans to see as often as possible in the future stretches across his face.

“Thalia!”

Nico’s hand darts out to grab Jason’s wrist before he can rise to his feet and come hug her like he always does.

“Wait.”

Her brother’s face is instantly concerned, eyes snapping back and forth between her and Reyna in the doorway and Nico sitting next to him.

Slowly, the son of Hades rises to his feet and approaches them, eyes sharp and assessing as Thalia remembers Bianca’s being all those years ago. She can see his gaze darting from where her circlet should be to the ratty denim jacket she wears in place of her usual silver Huntress’ parka. Thalia can see the realization dawning on his face, disbelief turning to _wonder_.

“You left the hunters,” he breathes, and both Frank and Jason jolt like they’ve been electrocuted. “I can _feel_ you aging again. How? How are you _alive_ after breaking an oath to one of the twelve Olympians?”

There’s _fear_ in his voice suddenly, fear crumpling the look of wonder that was in the process of blooming across her brother’s face. To break an oath made on the Styx is death and an eternity in the Fields of Punishment, and it’s obvious that given the choice between their absence and their _death_ that their brothers would choose absence.

 _Love you love you love you,_ beats in Thalia’s ribcage and she has to laugh despite the sudden tension in the room because _this_ is how she finally shows her little brother that not even the gods can keep her from loving him the way she has since he was born. 

“I prayed to Lady Styx,” she tells them, squeezing Reyna’s hand in her own. “Both of us prayed to her. I can tell you most of the story later, but for now, let’s just say that the Goddess of Oaths has a soft spot for you, little brother.” She feels like her face will split in two with the force of her smile. “All I had to do was promise to be a better sister.”

Her brother looks… fragile in the wake of her words. Vulnerable and unmasked and tentative. Thalia finally lets go of Reyna’s hand so she can cross the distance between them and brush a hand through his short, bristly hair. 

_Fuzzy and Yellow on top._

“I should never have given up searching for you, little brother. I shouldn’t have given up waiting. Artemis shouldn’t have offered me a place with her huntresses…” _  
_

_So many things that shouldn’t have happened._

“So many terrible things happened to you because I left, so many more then you probably think there are.” She tugs him out of his chair and into a hug, pressing her face into his shoulder and sagging into the living warmth of her lost-found brother. “Others did the deeds, but I left the door open for them to get to you.” She takes a shaky breath. “Can you forgive me?”

“Duh.” 

She has to snort a laugh into the soft fabric of his sleep shirt. He’s such a _dork_.

“I heard you finally made a move on your death-boy.” She pokes him in the ribs. “In front of the ferryman and everything, huh?”

Jason laughs and pokes her right back. “Like you have room to talk. You swept one of my best friends off her feet to go on the Eternal Lesbian Camping Trip with you _the same day as my funeral._ ”

A pang of guilt stabs through her at that, a reminder that she owes Nico so many apologies.

Later.

“Anyways, yeah. I did. And Hades told me that if I could make his wife’s garden bloom I could go back to the living with him.”

She laughs, because compared to most stories of lovers snatched back from the underworld Hades practically stamped his ticket himself. “I see you succeeded. Persephone herself told me what a good student you’ve been.” She reaches up and plucks his first perfect, vibrant dandelion from behind her ear. “She gave me this a while ago, probably around the time you started learning with her. She told me it was the first one you ever grew.”

His entire face softens as he looks at the bloom in her hands. “I didn’t know she kept it. It felt like it took forever to make anything more than leaves.” 

“And now look at you! Getting the whole of Persephone’s garden to bloom in the underworld on your own so you could come back with Nico.” She reaches up to ruffle his hair. “I’m proud of you, little brother.”

Jason ducks his head and honest-to-gods _blushes_ , and Thalia kind of wants to tease him forever about his crazy resume because even though she’s had a brother for eighteen years she’s never really gotten to be a _sister;_ and she’s pretty sure it’s her gods-given right to embarrass him in front of his crushes and brag about him to her friends.

She kind of can’t wait.

**Author's Note:**

> So here's my comment-turned-5000+word-fic. 
> 
> If you notice any inconsistencies with the actual books please remember that I have never actually read any of them, just really enjoy the premise of the universe. In other words, if you're planning to complain about it, don't. There's a lot of bits and pieces here that I've cherry-picked from other works too numerous to name (although I tried to take most of them from the 'Til We Grow Old' series and other works by the same author).
> 
> There's another ToA-centered idea I've got swimming around in my head that's absolute crack but amuses me. Basically, instead of the five-letter word starting with D being 'death,' Artemis shows up at the last second and yells 'DICKS' right as Caligula is about to make Jason good and stabbed; and Caligula is so taken aback that Jason manages to lop his head clean off, and then wanders off into the sunset to have a poly relationship with Nico and Will (and therefore fulfilling the prophecy). 
> 
> This may seem silly, but it's less silly than it was originally. Originally Jason was going to grow a second dick out of his forehead like a unicorn, with much the same distracting/beheading effect on Caligula; and then wander off into the sunset to wear hats for the rest of his life.


End file.
